Coin operated game device using LEDs to provide general illumination

ABSTRACT

A coin operated amusement game such as a pinball machine having a playing surface to which LEDs are mounted as a means for illuminating portions of the game playing surface generally.

BACKGROUND

Generally using LEDs as an illumination source is know. For example, PCTpublished application No. WO 2006/001221 describes an illuminationsource composed of a white LED of a first light source color and anorange LED of a second light source color so that light is emitted in acolor created as a result of mixing the first and second light sourcecolors.

SUMMARY

The following describes a system and method for using LEDs as a sourceof general illumination for a coin operated game device, such as apinball machine.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, propertiesand relationships of the system and method will be obtained from thefollowing detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forthillustrative embodiments which are indicative of the various ways inwhich the principles of the invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention directed to using LEDs as asource of general illumination in a coin operated game device, referencemay be had to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a coin operated game device, in theexemplary form of a pinball machine, using LEDs as a source of generalillumination; and

FIG. 2 is a top view, partially transparent, of an exemplary playingsurface of the coin operated game device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the FIGS. 1 and 2, a coin operated game device, in theexemplary form of a pinball machine 10 similar to that shown in EPPatent Application 0 992 264 but capable of being generally illuminatedin accordance with the invention, is now described. More particularly,the coin operated game device 10 includes a cabinet 12, generallyilluminated as described hereinafter, which houses various apparatusused to define play of a game. Game play is typically commenced inresponse to insertion of money—paper or coins referred to collectivelyas “coins”—into a coin accepting device or upon exercising of creditsearned. Upon activation of the game in this manner, game play, in thecase of a pinball machine, is defined upon an inclined playfield 14 thatsupports a number of playfield accessories or devices 16. Moreparticularly, in the case of a pinball machine, game play is generallydefined through the use of a pair of flippers 18 to propel a ball 20relative to the playfield and accessories/devices associated with theplayfield 14. The playfield 14 is usually inclined from the horizontalsuch that the ball 20 tends to eventually roll back down the playfield14 in the direction of the flippers 18. While not intended to belimiting, the playfield accessories or devices 16 may include elementssuch as bumpers, ramps, and/or targets. The playfield 14 may be coveredby a transparent or glass sheet 25 to permit viewing of the playfield14. In addition to the foregoing, the playfield 14 usually includes aplunger element 32 which shoots the ball 20 up an alley 34 onto theplayfield 14. Other player-activated elements, typically in the form ofpush-buttons (not shown) on the sides of the cabinet 12, are usuallyprovided for controlling operation of the flippers 18. The pinballmachine 10 may also includes a backbox 26 which is mounted to overlay atop rear portion of the cabinet 12 and which contains a game display 28,such as a dot matrix display, CRT, or the like. The backbox 26 may alsosupport speakers (not illustrated) associated with the game soundsystem. Within the backbox 26 may be located various of the electroniccircuits for controlling the operation of the playfield, the display,general illumination, and the sound system.

To generally illuminate the coin operated device 10, the playfield 14 isprovided with illumination devices 22 which are mounted to an undersideof the playfield 14 using mounting hardware 24. The illumination devices22 are mounted to allow for the light emitted from the illuminationdevices 22 to generally illuminate desired portions of the playinginterior of the coin operated device 10. Since, in the case of pinballmachine, the ball 20 may roll over an area of the playfield to which theillumination devices 22 are mounted, a generally transparent overlay 26may be provided to the playfield 14 in a location over the illuminationdevices 22. The illumination devices 22 may include a single LED, suchas illumination device 22 a, or may include multiple LEDs, such asillumination device 22 b. The LEDs can be any color as desired. However,when multiple LEDs are provided, it is desired that the LEDs be one eachof a white color and an orange color which, when illuminatedsimultaneously, provide a more natural looking white light illuminationto the coin operated machine 10. The illumination devices 22 may beprovided power under the control of a system bus architecture or may beprovided power by a dedicated illumination circuit.

Similar illumination devices 28 may also be provided in association withplay features of the playfield 14. In this case, however, rather thanbeing provided for the purpose of generally illuminating areas of theplaying interior of the coin operated game 10, the illumination devices26 will be powered under processor control and be provided inassociation with a particular game feature to thereby illuminate thatparticular game feature specifically, e.g., a colored overlay 30, asopposed to an area of the game in general.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described indetail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and alternatives to those details could be developed inlight of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, theparticular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only andnot limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given thefull breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.

All patents, patent applications, and other references cited within thisdocument are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

1. A coin operated amusement game, comprising: a playfield including aplurality of features which are utilized to define play of the coinoperated amusement game wherein the playfield has mounted to anunderside thereof a first illumination device comprised of at least oneLED positioned in cooperation with the playfield to illuminate at leasta portion of the playfield generally.
 2. The coin operated amusementgame as recited in claim 1, wherein the first illumination device isilluminated in response to a control signal received via a busarchitecture.
 3. The coin operated amusement game as recited in claim 1,wherein the playfield supports a transparent overlay which overlays thefirst illumination device.
 4. The coin operated amusement game asrecited in claim 1, wherein the first illumination device comprises afirst white colored LED and a second orange colored LED.
 5. The coinoperated amusement game as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe plurality of features is illuminated by a second illumination devicespecifically under the control of a microprocessor in response to gameplay conditions.
 6. The coin operated amusement game as recited in claim5, wherein the second illumination device comprises at least one LED. 7.The coin operated amusement game as recited in claim 1, wherein theplayfield comprises an inclined playfield of a pinball machine.
 8. Apinball machine, comprising: a downwardly sloping playfield; a mechanismfor launching a ball from a lower portion of the playfield to an upperportion of the playfield along a side of the playfield; flippermechanisms located at a lower end of the playfield for diverting thetravel of the ball to prevent a ball from exiting the lower end of theplayfield under the force of gravity where it is returned to themechanism for launching a ball; a plurality of features on the playfieldwhich, when interacted with by the ball, influence scoring during gameplay; and an illumination device comprised of at least one LEDpositioned in cooperation with the playfield to illuminate at least aportion of the playfield generally.